THE DIVINE PRESENCE (Some adapted content from various sources) (Inc: Portion of 364)

Transcription

1 THE DIVINE PRESENCE (Some adapted content from various sources) (Inc: Portion of 364) I m talking of The Divine Presence THE GLORY OF GOD It speaks of His GREATNESS His POWER His MAJESTY His MIGHT Through the pages of scripture we see GOD S GLORY displayed The glory of God is right through the Book, from page 1. It begins at the first verse in the Bible: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. He said let there be light How profound. How powerful. How glorious! In the beginning... God... created... the Heaven and the earth! The heavens declare God s glory. The vast expanse of the stars shouts it out Glory be to God! Glory to God!

2 The glory of God was the outward brilliance of God's inward essence. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. God revealed himself in a cloud of brilliant, dazzling light. Moses said, show me thy Glory! (Exodus 33:18). The Lord led people out of Egypt with a radiant cloud of light by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 16:10). The prophet Ezekiel saw this glory-cloud - The glory of the LORD It filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 10:4). How can we you express this concept or define it? It is hard to describe it A woman was trying to do just that to help a group of natives translate the Bible into their own tribal language. After struggling through six pages of explanations and references for the Greek word doxa, commonly translated glory, she took a walk to ponder the problem. Suddenly she saw the brilliant red sky of the setting sun. It was a perfect illustration of the meaning of Glory she had tried so hard to convey: A brilliant light in the sky and something beautiful and wonderful. That glorious sunset enabled the tribesmen to identify the best words for glory in their own language.

3 Once they had learned the right vocabulary, they were able to give God the glory. To give God glory is simply to give him the honour, and the praise, and the worship that He deserves. There is no way we can make God any more glorious than He already is. But what we can do is to hold him in the highest regard, giving him the praise of which he alone is worthy. I want you to catch a glimpse. To get some of that glory today to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. Notice here, WHERE the glory lodges 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, God does a real work, a heart deep work Where do we find the glory today?

4 The amazing discovery we make here is that the awesome Glory of God shines in Our heart, though deceitful and desperately wicked, has been purified by faith. God makes our human heart into His holy dwelling place, by faith. KNOW IT IN YOUR HEART And God s very glory... Is deposited there It resides, there Within your heart. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, God s glory lightens up our once sindarkened soul. God shines His awesome, divine, glorious LIGHT into HUMAN HEARTS. 1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Glorify Him In your inner life In your bodies

5 God has designed you to display His glory He intends that HIS GLORY shines in YOUR WORKS in YOUR DAILY LIFE Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. The Glory of God is designed to shine in your works. The Glory shines, even in YOUR SUFFERING 1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. The glory of God can fill your heart and life Johann Sebastian Bach was committed to giving glory of God He claimed that the aim and final reason of all music should be none else but the Glory of God and the recreation of the mind. Bach became known for his remarkable musical talent, but he never ceased to credit his Creator as the one who was responsible for his ability.

6 The pages of his musical compositions could well have been used to satisfy a personal pride as his name appeared on them. But Bach was determined to give glory to God in his work. So he always concluded his original compositions with the three letters INS. SEE IT IN HIS FACE to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. They stood for the Latin words meaning "In the name of Christ." At other times Bach began his score with the letters JJ, meaning "Jesus help," and then ended his composition with the letters SDG for the Latin Solo Deo Gloria, meaning "To God be the glory." To God be the glory. Catch a glimpse of the glory today Notice here in our text where the glory is found It is found in Have we this sense? Do we sense the glory of God? This God consciousness? If you want to see the glory of God, all you have to do is look to Jesus. Looking to Jesus, in faith, also means receiving His forgiveness of your sins.

7 The angels gave glory to God because there was something glorious about God sending his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. The Bible says of Christ, Where do we see the Glory of God fully expressed? In this one who is the express image of His person. Behold Him Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He is the very radiance of God s glory The exact representation of his being. by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Look at Jesus in the manger. God the very Son became a real human being of flesh and blood. Join in with the angels in giving

8 glory to God in the highest for the gift of his beloved Son. Look at Jesus on the cross. There on the cross you see He has offered His life as a perfect sacrifice for sin, in the place of sinners. Look to Jesus on the throne. There He is, ruling from God's throne... The glory of God in essence is "all that God is!" Everything about God is glorious! His LOVE is glorious! ---it's glorious to be loved by God. His FORGIVENESS is glorious --- to be washed clean from our sins by the blood of Jesus. His GRACE is glorious - - While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) His RIGHTEOUSNESS is glorious. His TRUTH is glorious. His PURITY is glorious. His KINDNESS is glorious. His UNIVERSE is glorious. His HEAVEN is glorious. His WAY is glorious. His CREATION is glorious. His word is glorious. Look into His face It is in His face that we see God s glory Reflected in His face Perfected in His face. His face Take a fresh look at Jesus Look at His face Look into His face See His face His eyes, His smile See His face aching, in His compassion, as He stretches out His hand and touches the leper the lost His face caring, with His love as He reaches out to the wayward

9 As He heals the broken-hearted ones As He brings forgiveness to the repenting See His face Bearing sinful man s hate and mocking See His face glowing, and radiant, at the Mount of Transfiguration As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, his raiment was white and glistening. And they saw his glory (Luke 9: 29, 32). Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, See His face, His emotion, His intensity As He beholds the city and weeps over it (Luke 19:41). See His face, at the darkest hour knowing the cross was before Him Yet He turned not away He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). and when they had blindfolded Him they struck Him on the face, saying, Prophesy who is it that smote Thee? (Matthew 26:67; Luke 22:64). See His face wounded, injured by man, contorted with the agony, as He lifted the weight of our shame, our guilt

10 Behold Him. O come let us adore Him. See the softness of His face, in the Bethlehem manger. And now, behold this face His face... His face has weathered life s storms with us, borne life s trials and tears with us, as he was beaten, spit upon, adorned with a crown of thorns, injured and torn for you Lift up your eyes and see His face. Dripping with His blood for you, more marred than any man for you. See His Blessed FACE... We see His glory; and those holy eyes that saw, and wept. Those holy ears that heard; those lips that spoke... "Never a man spake like this." That face... In that face... we see the glory of God! But... look again Look upon that face..our Lord Jesus, alive and living! Victorious over death, hell and the grave; standing outside the open tomb, smiling, loving, full of grace and truth... That face --- the face of Jesus. Mary said: I've seen the Lord (John 20:18). The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord (John 20:19). And Jesus said, Blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed. (John 20:29). At his departing from the earth

11 while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. Yet this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven. (Acts 1:9,11). So get ready! WE shall see His face... We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is... face to face. (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 13:12). At the close of the days, we shall see His face And won t that be glory! Revelation 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire Glory, glory, glory. The glory is found in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord! (Note: credit to Arthur Blessit for some parts/concepts.) It s in His face we can get the Glory Get the glory catch a glimpse, get a hold of Jesus and Who He is Right through the Book The presence was with them. The holy presence. His presence. The glory. The glory of God.

12 Seasons of refreshing still come from His presence. The presence of the Lord. The glory of God still fills His holy temples. His own people. The glory speaks to us of the purity of the church. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When there was a temple, it says that His glory filled the temple. We capture that sense of the glory of God, as we Exalt His name Know His perfect peace And we see that something sacred is going on. We have seen the Glory it resides in human hearts. And, that the Glory is expressed in the face of Jesus Christ. Here in His face we see the Glory of God and we come to know Him The Glory of God Know it in your heart See it in His face And, thirdly, we note that the purpose of it all, is that we

13 THAT the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us SHOW IT IN YOUR LIFE GIVE HIM GLORY We can enter in Within the veil And know God s presence is with us, indwelling us... And the glory changes every dimension of who we are, and what we are to do Verse 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. This tells us of an amazing, great treasure, that is carried about in humble vessels made of clay. Why? 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. As it s been wisely said, Man s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Determine to do just that: Glorify God.

14 Actively... On purpose Our ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God, and joy to ourselves, in Him forever In all things WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO GLORIFY GOD, in all that we do not just in the spiritual activities of life. As a teenager, Richard Foster, spent a summer among the Eskimo people... It impressed Richard that the Eskimo Christians have "a deep sense of the wholeness of life, with no break between their prayer and their work." Richard went to Alaska on the adventure of helping to "build the first high school above the Arctic Circle." The work, however, was far from an adventure. It was hard, often backbreaking. One day he was trying to dig a trench for a sewer line, which was no easy task in the frozen tundra. An Eskimo man, whose face and hands displayed the leathery toughness of many winters, came by and watched him for a while. After some time passed the man spoke simply and profoundly. "You are digging a ditch to the glory of God," he said. The words stuck with Richard. Beyond his Eskimo friend, no human being ever knew or cared whether he dug that ditch well or poorly. In time that ditch would be covered up and forgotten. But because of that man's words, Richard says, "I dug with all my might, for every shovelful of dirt was a prayer to God." Richard made the discovery that everything we do, whether great or small, we do for the glory of God.

15 All of our lives belong to God. Every task we do is for His glory. It s not as if there are neat little compartments in life marked "secular" and "sacred." It all belongs to Him. If we would be changed on the inside, we will not conform to the spirit of this age. We will offer our entire lives. (Richard J. Foster, PRAYER) Let our whole life, like Christ s, be moved by this ruling principle, ALL, ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD. We are designed to give Him glory. And not just on a Sunday In The day by day, the ordinary moments, whatever we do All to His glory Consider this concept the Glory of God. What a privilege to know that we have that same glory. In us. We have the glory we have the treasure this treasure in earthen vessels, and nothing can diminish that If your business fails - the glory is there. Even if friends forsake you - the glory is there. When you are all alone, and feel you are in a vacuum you are not alone you are not in a vacuum The glory is there. When the crisis of life Almost overwhelms you When the unexpected disappointments seem beyond explanation --- The glory is there. Beyond reason, circumstances, Fear or pain --- the glory is there. in abundance --- the glory is there. Oh Praise Him.

16 And God is changing us from glory to glory When we know the glory, the glory changes us He is never failing. We are changed into the same image, from "glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord" Changed by the Spirit to look like God --- to live like Jesus! So when people meet you, they meet Christ living in you! 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, Matthew 5: You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. It is the work of the everlasting spirit.

17 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. You are become a reflection of the glory of God. You are the Light of the World. The glory of God is revealed in you. You become a light People may see your good works, and glorify the Father. Why? That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us The people who are filled with God's glory do the works of God. They preach the good news of Jesus! They witness. They do good! They are living a glorious life. As you live in the way of Jesus, the world sees your good works and glorifies your Father in Heaven! The excellency of the power is of God and not of us. We give Him the glory. All the glory! We are changed from glory to glory by the Spirit

18 David Brainerd said this to Jonathan Edwards: "I do not go to heaven to be advanced but to give honour to God. It is no matter where I shall be stationed in heaven, whether I have a high or low seat there, but to live and please and glorify God My heaven is to please God and glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted to His glory." David Brainerd had the treasure in his earthen vessel. We read that we also have this treasure Do we stop and consider the great treasure that we have? This pearl of great price. This amazing gift The Bible in several places refers to THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY (Romans 9:23) or RICHES IN GLORY. (Philemon 4:19). RICHES... we think of value, quality, quantity... lacking nothing. Oh yes, our Lord is the true value. What He has is pure riches --- lacking nothing --- and it's all for us! Whatever our need, His riches cover it. His riches! His glory! Think of how rich you are Rich in LOVE: "Oh how He loves you and me" Rich in BEAUTY: "The lily of the valley" Rich in TRUTH: "The way, the truth, the life" Rich in GRACE: "For by grace are ye saved"

19 Rich in UNDERSTANDING: "He became flesh" Rich in JOY: "That my joy may be full in you" Rich in EVERYTHING: "And everything that He made was good" Rich FOREVER: "The same yesterday, today and forever." Consider all His great riches We were made in God's image (Genesis 1:27), prepared from the beginning, for the glory we are to share with Him we can know His Glory. It s as if with some people they already wear a crown of glory They have the 'light of the knowledge of the glory of God' in their heart; and the 'countenance of the Lord' is upon them. It s a joy to meet people like that. And you know that they are truly living saints of God. You sense that God is with them. They are not in the world for anything else. They are Godly. Godly minded. They talk about the Lord, they think about the Lord, they love the Lord. They are friends of God, and they love people, not things. They are not carnal, they are spiritually minded. Do you want the glory of God in your life? Let s not get STUCK IN THE MIRE And become DEFILED in conscience, in body, in mind Sin is rampant all about us We are in the midst of darkness In the crisis

20 In the critical hour for our world. All around us we see an indifference to spiritual things Now more than ever we need a tenderness for truth. We can know a soul deep cleansing, deep within. This is God s will for His people He s planned this for His church. We need the glory of God. We can know Grace abounding, Romans 5:20. Glory abounding. We can know Floods on dry ground Floodtides of glory A divine tidal wave The Holy Ghost from Heaven His refreshing rain. We can know the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. We can come to know, and show, a conscience void of offence. Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. His glory resides within us Really and truly, we can come to know the glory of God at work within us, within His church. The Spirit of God is at work, working His holiness within us

21 Someone has said that Holiness is the losing of self and being clothed with the spirit and likeness of Jesus. He has come to make men holy. He will strengthen His people. This is the heart deep, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit of God. He calls us to follow on to know the Lord to not settle for the shallow, the superficial the substitute May God turn the tide As the Spirit lifts up a standard against the evil one. As God shows up, in His Holy Power. As God s glory once again fills His temple. Let us not lose this dimension. The dimension of His glory. Of eternity. Let us lay hold on eternal life. We won t stay in immaturity We want to know and show God s Glory. To witness this In our human hearts In the face of Jesus Christ And we will give Him the glory. Though the enemy come in like a flood 1 Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Let us determine to promote the interests of the kingdom of God. Let us commit

22 To impart truth To shine To be, as John the Baptist, a burning, blazing, shining light Our Lord promises He will change us, from glory to glory When God s glory is truly at work within us we will receive the wounded receive those who are emotionally, spiritually wounded. And provide them nurture. May men see our light shine. The glory And all the glory will be to God How can we shine? to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,